Rs 20k crore for farm loan waiver in Maharashtra

Provision is part of Rs 34k-cr programme

The Maharashtra Government has made a provision of Rs 20,000 crore for the Rs 34,000 crore farm loan waiver programme.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced this during the Monsoon Session of the legislature which commenced on Monday even as the Opposition Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) raised the issue over the delay in the implementation of the scheme.

Last month, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance government announced the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Krishi Samman Yojana — the loan waiver scheme —  that is expected to cost the exchequer Rs 34,000 crore.

According to the scheme, loans of Rs 1.5 lakh for all farmers would be waived. This would benefit 89 lakh farmers and nearly 40 lakh farmers would be free of debt.

“The first provision of Rs 20,000 crore was also made and will seek approval in the legislature for these supplementary demands,” Fadnavis told the Assembly.

To make it simple and transparent, farmers can avail the benefit of this loan waiver by filling a simple form online or on at any of the 25,000 Aaple Sarkar Seva Kendras.

“With the use of technology we are ensuring that only real farmers get the benefit of this,” the chief minister said, while videoconferencing with farmers from Gategaon, Latur district.  The scheme was first implemented here.

A special CM Farmer’s Relief Fund has also been created for this purpose where people can donate money for the scheme.

On the issue raised by the Congress and the NCP, Fadnavis said: “The government is prepared for a debate over the issue. We will ensure that a maximum number of farmers are benefitted from the loan waiver scheme.”

‘Time-killing tactic’
The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil (Congress) said, “There are several problems in the scheme. What is the need to make all the farmers fill up the application forms? This appears to be a time-killing tactic.”

“The farmers have so far not received any benefit out of the loan waiver scheme. They have not even received the Rs 10,000 that the government had promised. If the government wants to contest this claim, they should provide us with the list of beneficiaries immediately,” said former deputy chief minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar.

“The government is making attempts to delay the scheme and the online application is for that,” said Dhananjay Munde, leader of the Opposition in the Council.